Long live the King
by awesomenesshasar
Summary: Three-shot. When Bill Cipher becomes king of the kingdom for Gravity Falls, he is ecstatic. But as the years go by, he slowly changes. Everything he's loved slips through his fingers. When he finally snaps, who will be the last one to shout "Long live the King"? Rated T for character death, dark themes, and language. Based on the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay.
1. Viva

A/N: This is a three-shot based on the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay. I suggest listening to it as you read this, not to mention it's an amazing song!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or the song Viva La Vida.

* * *

><p>"I now pronounce you, King of Gravity Falls!"<p>

Cheers arose from all around the twenty-six year-old, as they cheered him on, shouting their congratulations, and the crowd bowed quietly as he raised a hand to wave and quiet them.

"Thank you my people! I'm pleased to be your king, and I will do what I can to help any and all you! You are my citizens, and I treat all you with respect and dignity! You shall all receive what you wish, as my father has passed on, with a heavy heart I will carry on his duties. You all know I have nothing but the best wishes for all of you as king, and I hope you all have a peaceful time in my reign! Thank you all!"

The crowd went wild as he exited with a flourish, the red cape on him swaying slightly. As soon as he got inside, he let out a heavy sigh. The guards who were with him on the balcony followed in after him, stopping at the balcony doors, and standing there. When the blonde turned to leave and they began to follow, he batted a hand, and tiredly growled;

"Leave me alone."

They replied with a quick "Yes, Sire" and left him to walk to his room by himself. As he got into his own lavish room, he tore off the crown and cape, setting them on his dresser, and he landed face down on his bed, letting out a wailing sob. As the tears came down his face, he coughed, and sat up, trying to keep his cool. But his father's last words were heartbreaking. He had never treated him kindly, and insisted on ruling with an iron fist. The man was glad he could treat the citizens better, but his father's last words were what really got to him. His father was just a bastard, a cold-hearted bastard who cared about no one but himself. He deserved to die. But as he reflected on it, he could just feel the anger boiling inside of him. He gingerly touched his left eye, the scar on it seemed to hurt more than usual.

* * *

><p><em>"William."<em>

_"It's Bill."_

_"Whatever."_

_Bill glared at his father for a moment, before dropping it. He couldn't be angry at his father on his death bed._

_"William, I need to tell you something. As a king, you will have many duties. The most important one will be to find a wife. Though, with your ugly mug, I doubt it'll be easy for you to find one."_

_"Father, mother tells me I'm attractive, right mother?"_

_He glanced at his mother pleadingly, but she only looked on with fear, and shook her head to agree with her husband._

_"There, see boy? Even your mother agrees you're ugly. Anyway, you'll need to find a wife, no matter what. I don't care who it is, as long as she's attractive."_

_"Won't it matter if she loves me, though?"_

_"No, of course not. It doesn't matter if she says no, also. As long as she's able to create an heir, you'll be fine."_

_"But father, she should be able to say no, I don't want her to be unha-"_

_"Shut. Up. You ought to know better. Her feelings don't matter. Stop acting so foolishly."_

_Bill gasped at this, and glanced back at his mother, who turned away, but he could tell she was crying. Upon realizing what this meant, he glared at his father with a fury he had never felt before._

_"Why you fucking-"_

_"DON'T RAISE YOUR VOICE, YOU CUNT." His father shouted. Bill didn't back down at this, though, and continued._

_"You... You raped mother. Just to make me. Aren't I right?! You raped her!" _

_His father ignored him, and only glared._

_"Mother, is this true?" He asked softly._

_She whipped her head around to see him. She seemed more tired than usual, and she broke out sobbing, running into her son's arms. She needn't say anything else, he understood her perfectly. The man hugged his mother, trying to comfort her. His father only laughed, giggling at first, then broke out into full on cackling. Bill grabbed him by his collar, and was only an inch away from his face, his anger extremely apparent. As his father kept on laughing, he growled;_

_"What's. So. Funny?"_

_His father stopped laughing, and said with a deadpan expression;_

_"I never loved you, you know. You're just a worthless little worm. The kingdom will fall to pieces, you along with it."_

_And with that, his father became limp, never to breathe again._

* * *

><p>The blonde sighed, placing his head in his hands. Just then, he heard a knock on his door. Looking up, he spoke softly;<p>

"C-come in."

The person opened his door, and peeked their head in.

It was his mother. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying earlier that day. He softened at the sight of her, and beckoned for her to sit next to him. She hesitantly sat down, and burst out sobbing again. He gently held his mother, stroking her back.

"Sh, mother, you're ok. Father's dead. You won't have to worry about him anymore."

His mother shook away from him, and stared deep into his eyes.

"My darling son, p-promise me one thing."

"Yes, anything."

She held his hands tightly, and he tensed up slightly.

"Pr-promise me you won't let greed consume you. Pro-promise me that you won't do what your father did with me to another woman. She doesn't deserve the suffering, or the beatings, no matter what she's done. If you keep this promise, you will live long and prosper as a king."

He gave his mother a genuine smile, and nodded.

"I promise."

Little did he know he wouldn't keep that promise...

* * *

><p>Over the next few months while Bill had become king, he had ruled fairly, most of his duties being attending to public events, kissing babies, cutting ribbons, etcetera, etcetera. He wanted to help the people in the kingdom, but he was busy with so many other things he hadn't found the time. and he had yet to find a wife. Overall, he just wanted to love her, and for her to love him back. He didn't want to be like his father in this respect. He was currently laying in bed, mulling over his poor mother. She had recently fallen ill, and he had tried everything to help her get better. Alas, everything they had tried so far had failed, and she had fallen deeper and deeper into the sickness. He hoped he could contact a man he heard had a specialty with magic and potions. The man lived just on the edge of the forest in a small shack. Bill was planning on heading there as soon as he got out of bed. He carelessly rolled out of the bed, and sighed, before standing up and getting dressed, cape and crown included. He learned that he had to wear the garments at all times except for when he bathed and when he was sleeping. It got annoying to wear it all the time, but he usually ignored it.<p>

After cleaning his black horse he had creatively named "Jason Funderburker", he hopped onto it, and gently urged the horse to start a careful gallop. Jason whinnied softly, and began to trot through the kingdom. It was an averaged size kingdom, and all the citizens were kind, if rather dim-witted. But they all tolerated his father's actions pretty well, by only protesting seven times before he urged the guards to begin killing protesters. No protests had been held while he was king, which he rather liked. As the horse carried him, carefully trotting, he smiled and waved at a few of the peasants. He saw a small child holding out a small crate of apples with no one buying them. He noticed how filthy the child was, and stopped his horse for a moment. The boy strolled over to him.

"Hello sir, would you- Oh, the king! Forgive me!" The child immediately bowed, and a few apples toppled off the stack. The child quickly set down the crate and began to pick the apples up. Bill smiled, and chuckled warmly. He turned around, reaching into his pocket, and pulled out a few coins. He handed them to the boy, who looked up, confused, before reaching to hand him an apple. Bill shook his head.

"No, keep your apples."

The boy smiled, and bowed again.

"Thank you so much, Mister King!" The boy then picked up the crate and walked away with a spring in his step.

Bill smiled to himself, and then remembered it was best to keep moving. His horse then picked up the pace a bit, and before he knew it, he was at the shack he had heard about. The blonde got off of his horse, tying his reins to a nearby tree. He hesitantly knocked on the door, only to find it was already open. The man was then bombarded by flashing colors and smoke, which effectively blinded him. He coughed violently, and was then hit in several sensitive spot which made him immobile, and he was tied up. He struggled the best he could, but found himself gagged and blinded. Bill was shoved against a wall with no way to escape. But he heard his captors taking to one another. The first voice was gruff and withered.

"So, what do you think we should do with him?"

The next voice was feminine.

"I think we should WAX HIM WITH HOT TAR!"

This made his blood boil, but the next voice was that of a young man's.

"Mabel, you _always_ say we should wax people with hot tar. I think this guy is the king."

"Bah, don't be ridiculous, Dipper! Why would the king be here? Anyway, I second Mabel's decision."

"But Stan-"

"No buts except yours running to get the tar."

The young man sighed, and Bill heard him walk away, leaving him with the insane duo. He then felt the blind and gag being ripped off of him. He let out a small screech of pain, but his vision returned to him, thankfully, as he found himself in a dinky little room. Trinkets and doodads were glued to the walls, making him feel like he was being watched as the inanimate objects stared back at him. The room was pretty old, and seemed to be falling apart. Before him was a woman about his age -who didn't look half bad- and an old man. The woman, Mabel, gave him a quick look-over and gave a smile, scooting next to him.

"Hey, cutie. Ever been waxed in places you never wanted to be?" She attempted to flirt. Bill shook his head frantically, and began to speak.

"Um, look, my mother is very sick, and I heard you were an expert in making medicines. Please, I'll pay whatever it takes."

The old man, Stan, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and pulled Mabel aside.

"Mabel, this guy is a total shmuck if he thinks I'm going to take his money. He probably doesn't have anymore than thirty."

"But Stan, just look at him."

They turned to him, seeing Bill was struggling like a worm to get the ropes from himself. He grunted and wiggled desperately.

"I think he really needs our help."

Stan frowned a bit, turning back to him.

"Well, sorry, but unless you got a hundred on you, I can't do anything."

"No, I have the money! It's just in my pouch, but I can't reach it. If you untied me-"

"No way. Mabel, frisk him."

The brunette obliged, and asked him where it was. He blushed, and glanced down at his sensitive spot. She let out a small "Oh" and apologized as she gently undid the ropes around that area, and reached into his pants, when she felt it was inside his undergarment. Cursing under her breath, she gently reached inside as he let out a small scream. She winced as she grabbed the pouch, and pulled it out as fast as she could. Groaning, Mabel whispered;

"I think my hand lost its virginity." She then opened the pouch, and counted what was inside. Her eyes widened as she realized how much was in there. She whispered to Stan;

"Stan, he has at least two hundred!"

"You're kidding me. Let me count it."

As Stan counted it, his eyes widened as well, and turned back to him, with a smile so fake it couldn't fool someone who was blind.

"Well, good sir, thank you for your generous donation, we'll need all of this to make the potion. Now, what's your mom got? Baldness? Biting her nails too much? Anything that starts with the letter B?"

Bill furrowed his brow.

"Well, I think it's a deadly sickness. Doctors have said it's some sort of plague."

Stan's eyes widened, and he smiled. He began running about, pouring blue liquids into orange powders, taking red balls and dunking them in something white, and Dipper came back with the tar. He groaned, seeing Stan was at work, which meant they wouldn't need the tar. He set the small pail of it outside.

"Stan, are you sure this guy isn't the king? He looks a lot like him-"

"Don't be preposterous, Dipper. Now stop dilly-dallying and get me the Sascrotch's underwear."

Wrinkling his nose, Bill watched in horror as he dipped the garment into the mixture. As he cringed, Mabel scooted next to him again.

"Sooo, what's a guy like you doing around here? No offense, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who would come out here."

Bill sighed, and shook his head, his blonde hair falling away to reveal his other eye. Mabel gasped at it in horror. He wondered what she was staring at before he realized what she was staring at. Swearing under his breath, he turned away from her, hoping to hide it again. She brushed away the hair though, and cringed at the wound. It was faded and seemed to be old, but that didn't keep it from looking like a recent battle scar. As he turned away from her the best he could, Mabel turned him back towards her.

"How did you get that?" She asked softly. He only gave a meek frown, not answering at first. Then he whispered quietly;

"M-my father gave it to me. He was angry at me because I hadn't killed an animal when we were hunting once.

"That's horrible! How did your mother react?

"My father lied, and told my mother that an animal had done this to me. I guess he was right though, he is pretty barbaric."

He laughed bitterly at his own joke. She gave a sympathetic glance, and walked out of the room for a moment before coming back with a small bottle. He looked at her curiously as she knelt next to him.

"Tilt your head back."

He did so, and she dropped the liquid onto his scar. Bill felt like his skin was burning off, and whimpered. But as soon as the pain had come, it disappeared. Mabel held a small mirror in front of him.

"Look."

He glanced in the mirror, and gasped. The wound was completely healed, and his eye had returned to what it had been before the hunting 'accident'. He smiled, and blinked a few times with his healed eye. It felt incredible!

"Th-thank you so much!" He stuttered. She only batted a hand, and gave a smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. My brother, Dipper made that."

Bill smiled genuinely, and for the next few hours, the two chatted merrily, quickly becoming well acquainted. It made him feel happy, he had never really had a friend. It was so nice to talk with someone for hours on end as he had never done before. It surprised him how much he enjoyed her company. It was a genuinely stimulating conversation, and she braided his hair a bit. He wasn't aware that his hair was long enough to be braided, but he rather liked it. It made him feel a bit freer. Their chatter was suddenly cut short when Stan cried;

"It's finished!" Bill was then untied, and handed the brown potion. It was a rich, creamy brown, and smelled like chocolate. He gave an uncertain glance.

"You're sure this will work?"

Stan nodded.

"Positive."

Bill gave a skeptical look, but still nodded.

"I'm counting on you. If this doesn't work, I'll have the army sent after you." He joked, and left without another word.

Stan's eyes widened a bit, and leaned closer to Dipper, whispering;

"Hey, you don't think he might've been the king?"

* * *

><p>Running through the castle, Bill finally reached his mother's room. He knocked on it for a moment, smiling to himself. When he heard no answer, he entered the room, and looked around. He couldn't find her in her bed, so he looked around on the floor.<p>

"Mother?" He called out gently.

He heard no answer.

Bill felt his blood run cold when he found a small blood spatter on the blue carpet. Advancing forward, he saw his mother's body lying on the ground, with blood dried around her lips, and trailing down her cheek. A small puddle of blood had dried into the carpet. With an astonished look he almost vomited at the scene, holding it in just to not disrespect the woman. Gathering up his courage, he turned her over, and began to pump on her chest, though it was no use. She was ice-cold. The realization of his mother's death was so overwhelming he fainted right then and there.

When he awoke, he found his mother's body was still there, and it had turned to night. Bill let the tears fall then. As he cried for his dead mother, he felt rage explode inside of him. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair! But as he stared at his mothers corpse, he felt the pain from all the years that had built up, festering, and boiling was breaking out of the dam he kept his emotions in. There were several cracks in it, and he felt it would burst at any moment.

And the moment he burst was the moment he broke his promise.


	2. La

A/N: Sorry for the delay! The internet has been really sucky lately, and I have almost nowhere to type now. It's a huge pain in the butt. Still, I'll try to be consistent with my updates!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls, or the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

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><p>The day after Bill found his mother dead on the carpet, the man had nothing left in him. The only caring figure in his life taken away from him as an act of what he assumed was spite. But what God or Gods above hated him so much? He hadn't even done anything! He had never been as awful as his father! Why the Hell was the world out to get him? Why the fuck was he given such shitty cards in life?! It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair! There was nothing left to anchor him and his kindness, there was no one he truly cared about left. And as the days dragged on, he became meaner, crueler. He cared about no one but himself, and-as far as he was concerned- there was no one else he should care about. He deserved this bit of indulgence, he told himself. I deserve this, he whispered as he stole from the taxes. I need this, he told himself as he hoarded the goods from other kingdoms.<p>

These were but the tip of the iceberg of his self-pity and angst. Soon enough, Bill had no remorse left in his heart. He never felt guilt for his actions. It never affected him, and he stayed that way until his twenty-eighth birthday, the age he was required to have a wife at. As soon as he issued the request to find a wife, he found women from all sorts of places coming to try and court him. He met one who was obsessed with hats, a woman who smelled like cow manure, one who was interested in warfare to an extent where she tried to kill him, and one woman who seemed perfect before he found she was bald. In the end, they were all just... wrong. Finally, he was desperate. He told the guards to bring every woman his age to him in the palace. If they refused, they would have to bring them by force. He didn't care, he just knew there was someone in the kingdom who could be perfect for him.

* * *

><p>Two years had passed quite fast for Mabel. She still worked in her Grunkle's little shop, and hung out with her brother most of the time, sneaking out to find all sorts of magical creatures and items. Their uncle ignored their fantastic stories, claiming the only magic in life happened if you were rich. Which Dipper would object to, but Stan would quickly tell them to complete some impossible task, such as re-tiling the roof with mittens on. Business was slow, with only a few people stopping by every couple of months. But it was enough to live off of, and the two hundred they had gotten from that dreamy blonde had really helped. She wondered where he was now, and if his mother was ok. Mabel hoped she was, so maybe he could come back and thank them.<p>

Today was boring as usual, with no business. She mindlessly chewed on a strand of her hair as Dipper was writing in that weird journal he had found when they were kids. It had helped them find all sorts of weird stuff, and was a nice reminder of the past. It was still a boring day, though, and it was only halfway through the day. Groaning and blowing the hair out of her face, Mabel adjusted her position to be upside down. As her dress fell a little, she smoothed it out so she would still be decent in front of her brother. She sat like this for a few minutes as the blood rushed to her head and made her dizzy. When she was just changing her position again, there was a loud knocking at the door. She was surprised at this, and fell out of her seat.

Stan glanced at the door, and opened it. The person at the door was a short man, who looked like a nervous wreck. Raising an eyebrow, Stan asked;

"What do you want?"

The man gave a nervous smile.

"Well, I'm Toby Determined, and I want to let you know-"

"Look, we've already found Jesus, we're not interested in what you're selling, and we can't donate money to starving children because we're starving ourselves. Isn't that right, kids?" He called back to them.

Dipper responded with a nod, and Mabel shouted a "yes". The man became visibly shaken at this. He frowned, and tried to convince him once more.

"Look," whispered the man. "If you cooperate, things will go so much easier for both of us. I just need to know if you have a woman liv-"

"No. We don't. Now get out of here, or I will break you, little man!" He shouted, shaking a fist at him. Toby instinctively covered his head and ran away, screaming.

"Hah, nobody gets the better of Stan Pines! Nobody."

Stan closed the door, and continued counting the money they currently had. Not a few moments later, there was another knock at the door. Groaning, the old man slammed the door open.

"Look, if you won't go away, then I'll have to-"

He stopped his rant when he saw the people at the door were guards, glaring at him. One was distinctively older than the other, and the other one had dirty blonde hair.

"Are you Stanford Pines?" The older guard asked.

Stan's eyes widened, and smiled.

"Why, no, of course I'm not that handsome scamp that owes taxes to the king! That's ridiculous you'd think that!"

He laughed nervously as the two exchanged suspicious glances. The older guard pulled out a scroll, and unfurled it, revealing a very accurate depiction of Stan scratching himself and looking disgruntled. Stan broke out into a nervous sweat, still trying to keep up the facade.

"Can you explain who this is, then?" The older guard asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, that's my twin brother, Stanley." He responded with a deadpan expression.

Pulling the blonde aside, the older guard whispered;

"Trigger, it's obvious this is the man we're looking for. Let's just get this over with."

The blonde, evidently Trigger, nodded, and they turned around, only to be bombarded by a flash of smoke and colors. Coughing heavily, Trigger felt around, and grabbed onto the wall of the shack, steadying himself.

"Powers, are you ok?" He called out.

A few moments later, the smoke cleared a bit, and he saw Stan shoving some clothing, potions and other things into a bag. There were two others with him, twins they seemed. They looked uncomfortable as he shoved a few of their belongings in the bag. As he recklessly pushed Dipper's journal in, he hissed;

"Be careful with that!"

Powers clasped his hand on Trigger's shoulder to steady himself. Now, the smoke had completely disappeared, and the two stood in the doorway awkwardly, not sure of what to do next. Powers coughed to get their attention, and Stan looked up. Sighing, he turned his wrists right-side up, ready to accept hand-cuffs. He shuffled forward glumly.

"Alright, you got me. I'll go quietly."

The two guards exchanged looks.

"Look, we're not here to arrest you. We just came here because we were ordered to. We're here because of the decree the king has issued."

Powers pulled out another scroll, unfurled it, and began reading it aloud.

_"As of late, I have-"_

"Why are you reading it like that?"

"Reading it like what?"

"You're reading it all high-pitched and nasally."

"Isn't that what the king sounds like?"

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Powers began reading it again, in his own voice.

"As of late, I have realized, as king, it is my duty to have an heir. In order for this to happen, every woman in the kingdom must come and meet me directly, and I will pick one to be my betrothed. If any woman should resist my order, she will be taken by force, or, if need be, condemned to death."

Powers finished and rolled it back up, tying it to his belt. Mabel instantly paled as all eyes landed on her.

"Uh, I guess I' have no choice. I'll go?" She sounded extremely uncertain, and frowned a bit. Dipper immediately began to object.

"Mabel, this is ridiculous. If the king really wants a wife, he can just marry anyone. But not her."

Turning back to the guards, Stan firmly stated;

"She's not going."

Trigger and Powers unsheathed the swords that were on their belts, and started to advance towards them. Dipper firmly held onto his sister's hand, not daring to let go. The men seemed uncertain for a moment, and continued forward nervously.

"We don't want to have to do this, but you give us no choice."

Mabel's eyes widened, and she instinctively put an arm in front of the other two.

"No, I'll come! Don't hurt them!"

Stan and Dipper looked shocked, and before anymore words could be said, the guards grabbed her arms, and dragged her along.

"Mabel, no!"

"Kid, what are you doing?!"

She turned back to them the best she could, and gave them a smile.

"Don't worry guys, I'll be back by tomorrow! I promise!"

She didn't know she wouldn't be able to keep that promise...

* * *

><p>The brunette looked uncomfortable as she stood shoulder to shoulder with other women she didn't know. She was wedged next to a red-head and a blonde, who seemed to be giving each other the stink-eye as they argued as though she weren't there.<p>

"This is all your fault, Wendy!"

"How is this my fault?! Last time I checked, you were the one who was taking too long to pack your makeup! Why do you even need that stuff anyways?! You look good enough already, Pacifica!"

"You do too, and I love your hair, but I'm too ashamed to say so out loud, so I'm just going to keep yelling!"

They went on like this for a while, until the doors at the end of the room flew open. Then it just occurred to Mabel; she didn't even know what the king's name was, or what he looked like. She had never gone to any of the ceremonies he hosted, and she certainly hadn't been there when he was crowned. So it was easy to say she was curious what he was like. Mabel just hoped he wasn't a gross old guy. That would suck. Then she had to remind herself there was no chance she was going to be picked. The women on her sides were much fairer than her, and she was just a peasant. She bathed only once a month to preserve water, she had never worn anything fancier than her dress that desperately needed to be washed, and she smelled almost as bad her brother. That was saying something.

_I won't be picked, that'd be ridiculous._ She thought to herself.

As the doors flew open and the king stepped out, her eyes widened. It was the man she had seen two years ago, when he had asked for their help! She was rather surprised at this, and stifled a gasp. There was something different about him though. The last time she had seen him, he seemed kinder, and had become friends with her. Now, he had a sharp glare, and seemed tough-er. He glanced over the women as he approached them, looking bored. She sucked in a breath, and for some reason, she hoped he wouldn't notice her. As he passed the other women with boredom, he passed by the red-head, and stared at her with intrigue. Mabel broke out into a nervous sweat from his piercing stare and as suddenly as he had stared at her, he moved on.

Mabel let out the breath she had been holding, and noticed the blonde, Pacifica, was staring at her with a sly smile. Mabel gave a confused look, and the woman leaned over to her, whispering;

"I think he likes you."

Startled by this, the brunette blushed, rubbing her arm.

"Yeah, right." She whispered back, and Pacifica's smile grew wider as she leaned closer to Mabel, the latter trying to lean away.

"Yeah, right." Pacifica mocked, and laughed quietly.

Mabel grew increasingly uncomfortable as she caught him glancing back to her once in a while. Once he was done glancing over the women, he stood before them, and pointed to a few of them, beckoning them closer, Mabel being one of them. As they stood around him, he ushered the guards to escort them elsewhere. She was taken with the other women to a long hallway, and aligned in a line to be sent into the room at the end of the hall. The blonde entered the room, and women were sent inside individually. As each woman was sent inside, Mabel's anxiety grew. What was happening to them? What was he saying to them? Finally, it was her turn to go in. She was practically shoved inside, and saw the blonde staring at her intently as she stood there awkwardly before sitting across from him.

"You're the guy from two years ago, right? The guy who wanted that potion for his mother." Mabel broke the ice easily.

He gave a genuine smile, his sharp glare finally disappearing.

"And you're the girl who was in that shop. What's your name again?"

"It's Mabel."

"Ah, yes. I'm William Quentin Cipher, but you can just call me Bill."

"Ok, William." She shot a sly smile at him and he suppressed a laugh.

Bill shook his head at her remark, sighing.

"Well, as you can probably guess, I have invited you in here to chat. Everyone who has talked to me so far has had the potential of being the queen. Well, I've talked to the other women, and I think you might just be the one."

Her eyes widened, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He noticed this, and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I'd be all for this, but I have a family at home. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I couldn't see them again."

He opened his mouth to protest, but nodded in understanding.

"Alright. I understand what it's like to lose family. My mother died when I came back from getting the potion from your uncle."

Mabel gasped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that happened to your mother."

The brunette gave a reassuring glance, and without warning, pulled him into a hug. He sniffled slightly, but returned the hug. He then departed from the hug, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Don't worry, maybe I can visit you sometimes. I hope you find the right wife." She smiled at him, and gave him a small peck on the cheek. Blushing furiously, he watched as she left the room. He smiled faintly, and sighed.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Mabel had returned to the shack, as promised, and was ecstatic to see them again, telling them what had happened. As she finished telling her story, the two were relieved to know she was with them, and they began settling in for the night. As Mabel changed into her night-gown, there was a sharp knock on the door. The woman groaned. Who was there now? As she opened the door, she was surprised to find Bill, with a sheepish smile on his face. Mabel was completely caught off-guard when he pulled her into a deep kiss. He didn't let go of her for a minute or so, and he gently pulled her away from him.<p>

"W-what are you doing?" She whispered.

"I've found the woman I love. Mabel, will you become my queen?"

She looked at him like he was crazy.

"I thought I made myself clear earlier. I'm sorry, Bill. I don't want to marry you."

His expression changed from one of hope to one of anger as he roughly grabbed her arm. She winced, and glared at him.

"Let go of me!"

As his eyes bore deep into hers, she felt her blood curdle as he hissed;

_"No. I've lost too many people I've loved, I'm not losing you."_

She let out a startled scream as he began dragging her out of the shack, and Dipper immediately rushed into the room, dressed in nothing more than his boxers. As soon as he saw the strange man almost attacking his sister, he lunged at him with no hesitance. This escalated into an intense fight, both swinging punches, biting, and kicking at each other.

"Leave my sister alone!"

His answer was a punch to the jaw.

Stan rushed out into the room, startled at what was happening.

"Hey, what the hell is going on here?!"

They didn't answer him, and continued fighting, finally, Stan stopped the fighting by repeating;

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

The two stopped their fighting for a moment, and turned to Stan, caught off-guard by his anger. Using this moment to his advantage, Bill suddenly slammed Dipper to the ground, and beat his head into the floor until he became unconscious. With reflexes like lightning, he grabbed Mabel's arm again with an iron grip, and began to drag her away, with her resisting the best she could.

"Stan! DIPPER!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, before she was aware of a searing pain, and falling into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Waking up, the woman jumped up, looking around. She was in a place she didn't recognize, and looked around completely confused. Where was she? She recalled what happened the night before, and had a pit form in her stomach, realizing what happened and where she was. Mabel threw the sheets off of herself, and looked out the window in the room she was in. There she had a perfect view of Stan and Dipper being dragged to a guillotine. She gasped, and rushed to the door in the room. She jiggled the doorknob to no avail, and desperately threw herself against it. When that didn't work, she ran back toward the window. There was a man ready with the guillotine as another seemed to be reading what they had done.<p>

The woman desperately tried to break the window, throwing herself against it and screaming as their heads were bowed and ready, she tried everything she could to try and deter it, but the crowd before them didn't seem to hear her screaming for them to stop. She couldn't bare to watch as the man holding the rope to the guillotine pulled. She couldn't believe her eyes as it made a perfect cut on both of them, and their heads rolled off, blood still dripping from their necks. Mabel screamed and screamed, but no one heard her. No one dared to stay much longer as the crowd dispersed quickly, and Mabel felt defeated. She then felt a hand on her shoulder, and tensed up, knowing who it was.

Bill sighed.

"Mabel, I'm so sorry."

Mabel whipped around to face him, and was ready to give him the worst of insults.

"It was their fault though, they didn't listen when I told them what would happen to them if they didn't leave us alone."

"You fucking bastard, I HATE YOU!" She screamed.

"Now, now, let's keep our heads here-"

Wrong choice of words.

"No, you shut THE FUCK UP, YOU CUNT!"

The familiar words invoked rage in him, and before he realized it, he had struck her hard enough for her to fall down. Whimpering, she but her lip as gleaming tears rolled down her cheeks. He then knelt down to her level, and spoke dangerously soft.

"Know your place, you bitch. If you don't, you'll end up like them."

She stared on fearfully as he completely switched emotions, gave her a peck on the lips, and then left the room.

That night was the first of many where Mabel didn't get any sleep.


	3. Vida

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

* * *

><p>The first few days after Dipper and Stan had met their maker, Mabel had done nothing. She only slept, and didn't bother to get up and eat or drink. She had a hunch of what Bill would do if he saw her up and about. So she stayed in her room, and was visited by him a few times a day as he tried to coax her out. But she never even peeked an eye open. She only curled up into a fetal position as he gently brushed her hair and babbled on about his day. Mabel listened to his annoying chatter until he left, and then she would sit up and sob to herself. He hadn't done anything too bad to her yet, but there was that feeling that she wouldn't be able to do anything when he did. She knew he had told the kingdom she was to be married to him, and they were ecstatic about it. They had no idea what he had done to get her to come with him, and that sickened her greatly. Finally, when he came in one night, he didn't leave. As Mabel wished he would go away and leave her be, he only crawled into the bed with her, gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She somehow found this encounter calming, and had fallen asleep with the man she hated so.<p>

The next morning, she had woken up to find the man was still holding onto her. He began to stir, and woke up, brushing aside a bit of her hair. Shivering, the woman tried to ignore him. He still didn't let go of her as he trailed kisses along her neck. Mabel let a tear escape her eye, and Bill noticed this. He stopped for a moment, and wiped it away. He sighed and sat up. Glancing back down at her, the blonde smiled a bit. He then crawled out of the bed, and left the room. When she heard him leave, Mabel sat up and stretched. Then the tears came fast and didn't stop as she sobbed for a while. Her eyes were now red and puffy from crying. He had slept next to her as though he didn't care about her mental state, as though it was something normal. He hadn't done much yet, but that was now. Mabel knew he would push things farther, and she was supposed to have an heir for the throne. This thought alone terrified her on what she would have to do, and she knew she had to devise an escape plan. Even if Stan and Dipper were dead, she couldn't let that stop her from living the life she wanted to live. She could run away to the forest, she knew it like the back of her hand! If Mabel could escape this room at least, she would be able to run away, and go back to the small village of Piedmont she lived in before her parents died and they came here. The trip would be long and hard, but the thought of staying here cooped up was too much to bear.

And so every day she began to think up a plan. She knew he would marry her soon, which was the last thing she wanted. Mabel knew she would have to be careful in planning, she couldn't let the man distract her from escaping. Their meals were always spent together and he always seemed to be just a step behind her, breathing down her neck. It was so nerve-wracking. She was afraid he might be able to read her thoughts, even though she knew that was impossible for him. So, she set out to try and find what she could do. Every day in her bedroom, she looked out over the kingdom, and saw the forest right at the edge of the houses that obscured her vision of most of it. But she knew what roads to take, the paths that winded everywhere, what to eat, and what to drink. It could actually work, it would just take some time and planning. But as the days dragged on, Mabel found her plans of getting out of the castle all failing. The only way she would be able to get out is if she somehow convinced Bill to have the wedding outside, and she feared it would be too late if she waited that long. So she continued trying to find ways out of the castle to the forest, but found the wedding day drawing nearer, and Bill had continued sleeping next to her with no remorse. It hurt her as he never seemed to regret making her feel such depression. If he offered any words of sympathy at all she might have been able to stand him, but he had never said anything such, only talking about himself and his day. He never really asked her about herself, which lead to her realizing how narcissistic he was. She knew his mother had died and his father had been cruel, but how did that drive him to be such a monster? Maybe if she had comforted him in that time after his mother died he wouldn't have turned out like this. Mabel shook her head at the thought now. It was beyond her control now, and wrestling with if's or but's wouldn't do any good.

Now it was only six weeks before the wedding and she was a nervous wreck. She felt he was even closer to her now, but not emotionally. He was just almost always by her side in whatever she did, and that terrified her. He never really backed down. It hurt her so much to see the man had almost completely succeeded in his kidnapping her and killing her family. She could see no way out, and that was the worst part of it all. Mabel felt helpless as there was practically nothing she could do to stop him and his plan. She couldn't bear it, and it almost drove Mabel to madness just thinking about it. She finally figured she would have to communicate with him just so she would be able to get out of there. Maybe having the idea of an outdoor wedding wasn't such a bad idea, as long as it was near the woods. So, the next time they had a meal together, she began talking.

"So, Bill."

"Yes, darling?"

She winced slightly, she hated it when he called her pet names. But she ignored it for now, batting her eyelashes.

"Do you think we could have the wedding outside, near the forest? It would just mean so much to me."

She gave him a peck on the cheek for persuasion, and he rubbed his chin with a small smile.

"Well, it's a bit of short notice, but I think we can make this happen, if you really want me to."

He gave a sly wink, and smirked. She suppressed a shudder, and smiled.

"Thanks sweetie."

After this short, but crucial, conversation, Mabel noticed he became a bit more agitated in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and he directed most of his anger towards her, as he became angrier at her for seemingly nothing. But even as he hit her more than once, she couldn't think about anything but how she longed for the taste of the fresh air as freedom danced on her thoughts. She was so eager to get out of the castle that on the wedding day she almost betrayed her plan and ran out as soon as she could have. But she stayed calm, and Mabel was now being shoved into a corset that sucked the breath out of her as a tight-fitting dress was adjusted to fit her slim build. She felt she could barely walk normal as her back was cut by the dreaded contraption. It hurt like hell, but she couldn't betray her act. The dress was beautiful, with white ribbons and lace dashing across like skipping stones on water. Her hair pulled up behind a veil with so much lacy design she could barely see through it. The shoes weren't any better, and her feet felt awkward as she stumbled around in them. They were a size too small, and her toes felt like they might break at any moment when they were crammed in there.

Still, she looked like the picture of elegance, and one would guess she was ecstatic to look so beautiful on her wedding day. It was quite the opposite, but no one needed to know that right now. So Mabel sucked in a breath, and intertwined arms with Bill. As they walked out and all the people before them cheered, she couldn't help but feel a sudden spike of importance and happiness. It was a wonderful feeling to be cheered on, even if she didn't know any of the people in the crowd. She felt like thanking them, but she had been told not to. She smiled though, and Mabel caught the eye of several people, making full eye-contact with them as if to say hello. The next thing she knew, the glorious walk had ended and she was escorted into a carriage. Bill sat across from her, and watched with a smile as Mabel let out a sigh of relief, and immediately pulled off the shoes. She glanced back up at him, and Bill leaned toward her a bit.

"You look wonderful." He whispered this as though he might get into trouble if someone caught him saying this.

Mabel sighed.

"Thanks. You look handsome."

She surveyed his outfit. It didn't seem nearly as constricting as hers which made her a bit angry. She was the one who had to suffer in the corset, dumb veil, and shoes that should have been used as weapons, not footwear. He was just wearing a white suit that substituted his usual yellow outfit. He had also put on his usual bow-tie, and had a small flower embroidered on the pocket on his chest. Looking closer, she saw it was a beautiful Marigold, and was oddly purple. Glancing over him again, Mabel sighed. Even if she did hate him, he still looked fantastic. The carriage suddenly stopped, and the door opened. Bill glanced down at the shoes she was supposed to be wearing. Groaning to herself, she pushed them back on, and stepped out of the vehicle with Bill. Their arms intertwined again. They began walking for a few minutes toward where everything was set up. She suppressed a gasp at how everything was designed. It looked amazing, but she couldn't let that distract her. Focusing herself, she glanced up at the man. He glanced back at her also, and smiled genuinely. Sighing to herself, Mabel ignored the fluttery feeling in her stomach. The brunette then glanced at the trees around them, already imagining what it would be like to running through them with the dress she had on. Sure, it would be an inconvenience, but she could guess the corset would be easier to get off than it was to get off. Mabel suppressed a gasp of pain when it cut into her shoulder blade hard enough to draw blood. She thought it would show through the dress, and before that could happen she whispered to Bill;

"Hey, do you think you could fix my corset?"

He nodded, and was about to start when she blurted;

"Do you think we could do it in private? How about behind those trees?"

Bill sighed.

A few minutes later, they were behind the trees, and Bill was having a hard time pulling the dress down enough to see the corset. Mabel was bleeding enough for it to show through the dress a bit, but Bill hadn't noticed it yet. He was swearing at the dress, and finally, he pulled it past her shoulders to see the gash and corset.

"Oh my God! Mabel, there's a huge cut on your back! I'll- I'll go ask someone to help over here!"

"No! I mean, it's not that bad, ok? It's- I'll be fine."

Bill gave a skeptical look, but nodded, turning away for a moment. In this moment, he heard footsteps, and turned back to see Mabel without the shoes on running through the forest. He was baffled, what was she doing?!

"Hey! Where are you going?! Mabel! Come back!" He called out, and she turned back for a moment.

Even though she was a few yards away from him, she could see the hurt and look of utter heartbreak on his face. For a moment she even debated running back. But it was too late for that, she needed to get out of there as soon as possible. She turned back to see where she was running. Mabel quickly lifted up the dress as it was dragging along the ground and catching on things. Huffing and puffing, she felt the warm soil beneath her feet. Mabel kept on running despite the dress and corset cutting into her back, and restricted her breathing to little more than shallow breaths. After she had been running for a good while, she decided it was safe to look back. Glancing back, she was met with the quiet sounds of the forest and her heavy breathing. She was alone. Mabel smiled. She had escaped, she was free! But there wasn't any time to waste, the man would probably send some men and horses after her. She began walking, but then stopped for a moment, pausing to break off the corset. She let out a relieved sigh, and winced as she felt the cuts on her back breaks open slightly. Sucking in a breath, she tore the dress off herself, leaving her exposed. Looking around, Mabel found a rock sharp enough to cut the dress. Putting the now dirtied and bloodied dress back on, it only reached her thighs, and she had cut the long sleeves to roll up her legs.

The lace tickled her legs, and she felt free, for the first time in months. As she continued walking through the forest, she became worried. None of the trees seemed familiar. It was getting darker, and she was now she was lost. Mabel felt as though she might scream. She had come this far just to get lost?! No, she wouldn't accept that! Now, with a new sense of determination, she stomped through the underbrush, continuing like this for a few more minutes. Now it was completely dark, and she decided to settle down for the night. Over the next few weeks she tried the best she could to survive, killing rabbits and other small animals to survive. It was hard, but she soon got used to it. Mabel could never really find a comfortable place to sleep, so she became used to not sleeping much. Now, she had made a make-shift spear and was searching for a way out. The sky was beginning to darken, and she sighed. Suddenly, several small lights started to float around, and seemed to dance in the air. Mabel was baffled at first, but when they got closer to her, she found they were bugs. Tiny little bugs that contained so much light. It must have been magic. They glowed beautifully as they paid her no mind. The brunette felt a sort of nostalgia upon seeing them, and she broke into full on laughter as more came out, soon evolving into hundreds, maybe thousands, of the insects. Tears were brought to her eyes as the lights swirled around her, and she suddenly fell to the ground in a heap.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, someone's over here!"<em>

_"Who is it?"_

_"It's a woman!"_

_"Why is she wearing that? Where is she from?"_

_"Hold your horses, Robbie!"_

_"She looks awful and smells... Is she dead?"_

_"Oh, shut it! You are being really insensitive right now!"_

_"I'm just saying the truth, Tambers."_

_"Don't call me Tambers."_

_"Classic Tambers."_

_"Whatever. We need to help her! Let's get her back to the village!"_

* * *

><p>When Mabel woke up, she groaned, and tried to sit up. She found her upper body had been bandaged, and her chest hurt. She was also wearing a pair of red shorts on herself. She wondered who had helped her like this, and when she glanced up, she saw a dark-skinned woman with strange magenta hair peeking in at her. Mabel stared back, and the woman came closer.<p>

"Hi," she said shyly,"my name's Tambry. My friend and I found you in the forest."

The brunette nodded.

"The name's Mabel. How long have I been here? How long was I asleep?"

"You've been asleep for seven weeks."

Mabel's eyes widened.

"What?! You have to be joking!"

The magenta-haired woman shook her head.

"Sorry, but that's true."

The woman ran her hands through her hair. If she had been asleep for so long, the man must have found her by now. If he hadn't she would have been ecstatic. But her breath hitched in her throat, and she felt as though she might break down at any moment. What was she going to do if Tambry was just one of his spies? She knew he would most likely have them searching everywhere to find her. If he found her- She shivered at the thought. The punishment would be great, and Mabel knew then she wouldn't be able to escape him. With tears threatening to spill out, she rapidly blinked to ignore them. Looking up, she croaked;

"Has anyone come looking for me?"

Tambry looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No, I don't think so. Is there anyone who was supposed to meet you?"

"... No."

"Alright. I think you should come outside. There's food and water. You haven't had much in the past few weeks if you were wondering."

"Ok, I'll come out."

A faint smile crossed her lips.

"Just follow me."

Tambry wandered out of the tent and the brunette followed, making sure to be careful not to strain herself too much. Her back still had the cuts, but they had healed a bit. The bandages were soft, as were the shorts. Mabel gasped as the sunlight hit her eyes. It stung a bit, and she blinked rapidly to get used to the sudden light. She looked around. There were several tents scattered about, all of them a different color. It was interesting to see so many people wearing such colorful garments and they all seemed to be very focused on their work. Some people were focused on washing their clothes by hand, others were singing songs to each other, and children were smiling and laughing as they played. There wasn't anyone who wasn't smiling at least a bit. Mabel watched in silent wonder as several children ran towards her. They all smiled at her and pointed at her, shouting excitedly to Tambry.

The woman smiled, and picked up one of the boys who was wearing a lavender dress. He had dark brown hair that was in a braid. Tambry gave him a small kiss on the head.

"Yes, darlings, this is the woman I found in the woods."

The all "oohed" and "aahed" at her. Mabel felt several tiny hands climb on her back and hold on. She blushed at being the center of all this attention. Tambry smiled as the children followed her and babbled on, trying to hand her rocks and feathers and other things. Tambry opened the flap to another tent, and inside was a man who was significantly paler than her, with black hair. The children all let go of her and ran to the man. They all chirped excitedly about the new woman, and climbed all over him. Tambry chuckled at the scene and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"So Robbie, you had enough of being a dad?" She whispered quietly to him. There was a hint of playfulness in her voice. The black-haired man smiled and responded;

"Are you kidding me? I can't get enough of these kids!" One of the boys yanked on his hair rather hard.

"Thurop, be careful!" The man scolded, but still held his smile.

As the family reconciled, the brunette felt out of place, like this was something she shouldn't have been watching it and she was invading their privacy. As she stood watching awkwardly, Robbie noticed.

"Hey, what's your name?" He asked. Mabel shrugged, then winced at the pain it caused her shoulders.

"I'm Mabel."

"What were you doing out in those woods?"

Mabel hesitated for a moment.

"... I've just been living there for a while is all."

Lies.

He knew she was lying, but didn't want to press it farther than that.

"Alright. Why don't Tambry and Alex make you something? What do you say, Alex?"

The boy nodded excitedly, and skipped to his mother. Tambry guided him outside, the kids and Robbie following her. One of the kids stayed behind, and she looked straight into Mabel's eyes, which unnerved her. The girl gave a nod, and a smile before walking out. Mabel let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding, and sighed, sitting down and running a hand through her hair. These people were so nice to take her in, but what would she bring them if Bill found she was there? The brunette couldn't dwell on the issue much longer when the girl came back in. Giving a small smile, she asked;

"Are you coming? We're making moon cakes!"

A smile crept onto her lips, and she nodded.

* * *

><p>After living with Tambry and Robbie for a few weeks, the woman learned how to live in the tribe and how to fit in. It was so relaxing and she felt a true sense of peace and tranquility. Now, she was sitting with Tambry and watching the sunset over a large lake. The colors danced on the lakes reflection. Crickets chirped nearby, and there were a few stars beginning to come out in the darkened corners of the sky. Breathing in the fading summer air, Tambry stole a glance at Mabel. The brunette seemed extremely tense, and Tambry could tell. Reaching out to the brunette, she placed her hand on her knee.<p>

"Hey," she started,"are you ok?"

In a moment the brunette was reduced to tears, wailing deafeningly as she buried her face in her hands. Tambry comforted the woman, gently stroking her back, and pulling Mabel closer to her. She asked softly;

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't have anywhere to g-go! I can't just stay here, and Bill is coming, and I'm putting you and your kids in danger, and I just can't stand it anymore!"

The brunette's body shook and she pulled Tambry into a hug during her moment her of weakness. Tambry held her tightly, she had gotten to know Mabel enough to understand what she was feeling. She gently patted her back, and sighed.

"I understand. Don't worry Mabel. I get it."

The brunette let go of her friend, and wiped away some of her tears, and glanced back at the lake.

"I'm just a huge burden to your family. I'm just putting everyone in danger."

Tambry looked a bit surprised.

"Tambry, I think... I think I need to leave. I don't want to put any of you in more danger."

"...No. Mabel, if he hasn't found you now, who says he'll find you in the future? If he really wanted to find you, he would have. You're safe. You don't have to worry anymore."

Mabel still looked hesitant, but nodded.

"If you say so..."

* * *

><p><em>One year later<em>

* * *

><p>Mabel couldn't believe her eyes. Everything was burning, and several people had been killed in the first part of the raid. There Bill was, on his horse, viewing all the destruction with a twisted smile. Men and women of the tribe ran around, trying to find lost loved ones and saving what they could. As their screams filled the air, the woman slinked farther behind the trees. She saw the blonde approach a familiar tent. The one Tambry and Robbie lived in. Her eyes widened, but she didn't do anything to try and stop him as he held out the torch he was holding, and threw it onto the tent. She could see it caught the flames quickly. The tent was reduced to nothing but the flickering red heat. She prayed that they had gotten out in time. She was relieved to see Tambry was running around, looking for someone, most likely Robbie or her children. Mabel's blood chilled as Tambry screamed and threw herself at the blonde, who paid her no mind until she scratched him.<p>

With a hateful glare, he got down from his horse, and unsheathed his sword. Tambry still screamed at him, not noticing Robbie was running towards her to stop her. By the time he got there though, it was too late. The man had made a clean stab through her chest, and she fell to the ground, blood pooling around her now lifeless body. Robbie held her body in his arms, begging for her to stay with him. Her eyes soon glazed over, and held nothing but darkness in them. Robbie let out an agonizing scream, and Mabel felt herself gasp for her friend. Bill didn't look like he cared though, and continued on his way, looking everywhere for the brunette. Mabel ran farther into the trees, trying to distance herself from the destruction. After an hour or so she heard the men on horses hooves clopping away from the place. Mabel felt tears appear in her eyes. She slowly made her way back to the tribe, feeling terrified of what she might find. She found the tribe had been reduced to nothing more than ashes, and the occasional survivor looking dead-eyed or lost. She felt her eyes well up in tears as she found Robbie holding Alex's hand. None of the other children were to be found. Mabel knew what this meant. She heard the boy begin to speak to his father.

"D-dad," he whispered,"where's mom?"

"She's-" Robbie hesitated. "She's not here. She left."

"Why did she leave? Where is she now?"

His doey brown eyes were filled with hope.

"She's in a better place, Alex. You'll see her again someday."

"When? Will it be soon?"

"... Maybe. I'm not sure."

The boy looked up to his father expectantly.

"Where are the others? Where's Ariel, and Thurop, and Jason, and Kristen? Are they with mom?"

"... Yes."

Something about his tone made Alex tear up, as he realized what happened to them.

"Oh..."

Mabel stood in abstract horror as the boy realized what happened to his family. She teared up, and before she knew what she was doing, she left in a hurry. She took only one last look as she saw Alex kneel at his mother's body, and placed a flower in her hair.

* * *

><p>It had been three months since Bill had burned down the tribe. He still hadn't found Mabel, and his love for her had slowly morphed into an obsessed rage. He would stop at nothing to get her back, he wouldn't rest until she was his once more, he wanted her so much it hurt. And as he fell asleep each night, he found himself imagining she was there with him, enjoying his company. This was not so, however, and he felt a part of him grow angrier each day. Where the hell was she? She couldn't have gotten too far in just one year, could she? He often daydreamed about finding her, having her next to him so much, whispering to her, enjoying her beautiful self. This was what drove him to near madness as he found apparitions of the woman teasing him daily. More than once had he thrown his sword at the ghostly image of her only to fly through her and hit an expensive painting, tapestry, or, on one occasion, a person.<p>

He felt his obsession become more and more unhealthy, and interfere with the way he took care of the kingdom. He could feel a buzz forming in the kingdom, something about rebels and assassins planning his murder. He paid these rumors no mind as nothing had happened to him. Still, he liked the company of the guards, and had them outside his door right now. He was currently surveying a map of the region, and heard a knock on the door. He assumed it was one of the guards. Without looking, he called;

"Come in."

The door opened, and he heard footsteps come to him. He paid the person no mind until he felt they were standing right behind him. Bill turned around, and found it was a person who was wearing dark clothes and had a mask covering their face. They had a sword pointed at his neck. He was unfazed by this, though, and only frowned.

"Get to the floor, or I'll slit your throat." The masked stranger ordered, revealing a gruff, most likely male, voice.

He played along, knowing the guards would come running in any minute now. As he got well acquainted with the shag carpeting, Bill smirked to himself. The stranger quickly locked the door, and took the map off of the wall. Bill scowled at this, but knew as soon as this ridiculous scene was done with he'd be able to put it back on the wall. He felt the sword in his belt pin against his hip uncomfortably, but ignored it for now. If he could surprise the man at just the right time, he'd be able to kill him and get this over with. But the man stood over him, guarding him carefully with his sword's tip pressed to the king's back gently.

"Get up." He commanded.

Bill stood up, and held his hands up. In a sudden swift movement, the king knocked him down, and pulled out his own sword. In a moment, the stranger was back up, and they held their swords to the other's neck. They circled each other carefully, neither of them making the first move. The stranger gulped, and Bill lunged forward. The man ducked, some of his rather long hair being cut off instantly. Doing a sudden back-flip, the stranger landed perfectly on his feet. Bill smiled, a chuckle arriving on his lips.

"You're good. It'd be a shame if I had to slit you open. Alas you've made it this way."

The king began to advance towards the stranger, who instinctively moved back, dodging the parries and thrusts the king was throwing. He lunged at Bill, who moved to the side fast enough to catch him off-guard and throw him to the ground. The stranger flipped back up, and ran away from him to the other side of the room. They were equally matched, and were neck in neck. The blonde smirked as he twirled his sword like a baton. The man across from him carefully studied his movements, and lunged forward. However, Bill caught his arm, and threw him to the ground. He held the sword at his throat now.

"Well, just who are you, hmm? I'd like to find out."

He swiftly ripped off the man's mask, revealing the familiar brunette. His eyes widened.

"M-Mabel?"

This was such a surprise to him that she was able to stab his left arm, and quickly advance. He was now seething with rage at being betrayed. The anger boiled up inside of him, and he carelessly began to swing his sword at her. He hit the wall several times, cut several statues, breaking them, and he let out several curses.

"You BITCH!"

One chair was cut in half by the strong sword.

"Do you have any idea what I've done TO TRY AND FIND YOU?!"

Mabel barely dodged his next swing.

"I loved you, and all you did with my heart was break it!"

Now, she had been backed into a corner. He glared at her menacingly, and growled;

_"Do you have any idea what I'm like. When. I'm. Mad?"_

She gulped at his threat. But instead of killing her right then and there, he let the sword drop, and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was terrified at this sudden change. He kissed her cheek gently, and trailed his fingers down her sides affectionately.

"Mabel, now you can never leave me. You're mine. Stay here with me, and we can live happily ever after..."

The woman felt her eyes widen at his statement, and she desperately tried to reach her sword that she had dropped. He clung to her tighter, though, and Mabel felt her belt, trying to find anything she could use as a weapon against him. As a few tears dripped from the man's eyes onto her back, she slowly returned the hug. He smiled to himself as she embraced him. He nuzzled his face into her shoulder, and she sighed. A moment later, he felt a sharp pain in his back, and he let go of her, stumbling backward. He struggled to grab what was sticking out of his back, and when he did, he found it was a dagger. With blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth he stumbled forward, and Bill reached out to her, before slumping over and falling on her. The brunette gasped, and struggled to get him off of her. As she pushed him onto the floor, she sighed.

He was dead.

This realization made her smile, she had killed the man who had wronged her so. Now, she continued on her way, and whistled to herself. Walking down the corridors, a weight that had been on her shoulders felt lifted. The next day the man's body was found, and several conspirators were arrested. Over the course of the next few weeks, the kingdom was abuzz with his murder. They were all shocked at his death. But now, with no one else to take his place, she was in charge of the kingdom. All this power just with a command, or a gesture. She now wore the crown and cape the king had worn. Now, she stood in front of the people of the kingdom- her kingdom. They had all gathered to hear what she had prepared to say. She smiled to herself.

"Hello, my subjects! I am the new ruler of this fair kingdom since your king was unfortunately murdered. With a heavy heart, I accept his duties. I will take better care of the kingdom, and you can be assured no harm shall befall on any of you with me in charge. Now, rejoice, hallelujah, and feel free!"

The crowd ate it up, and with a smile Mabel waved to them. She then went back inside, and sighed to herself. She made her way to his- her bedroom, and found herself staring at her reflection. She looked quite fair, and she adjusted the crown a bit. Mabel looked older than she had expected. She seemed tired, and sighed, reflecting on what she had done. She set the crown down on the dresser. She had murdered a man in cold blood. She had taken over the kingdom with no one knowing what she had done. If she continued down this path, she knew she would become more and more like him. She shuddered at the thought for a moment, before she glanced back down at the crown. It seemed to ask;

_Well, what are you waiting for?_

With a shaky breath, Mabel sighed. She picked it up gingerly, her hands trembling. But as she placed it on her head once more, she felt a wave of power wash over her. Opening her eyes, she stared back at herself to see on her face a malicious grin that spread from ear to ear. Now, she didn't see what monster she was going to become, or what horrible things would happen to her only seven years in the future. She didn't foresee being overthrown, being pushed to the dreaded guillotine, and having her life end so. She only saw herself, and Mabel smiled as she whispered to herself;

"Long live the King."


End file.
